The group had humble beginnings, formed by cousins Eamon and Paul Ewins alongside schoolmates Craig Duris and Barry Dolan in Glasgow’s Bar Gallus, which they named themselves after before becoming “semi barred” from drinking there.
Gallus exist solely to entertain, branding themselves as down-to-Earth and unpretentious, making a name for themselves through raucous live performances in clubs up and down the UK and Europe. Lead singer and frontman Barry Dolan is a natural entertainer who, despite having minimal musical experience prior to joining the band, brings the “energy and dynamism” that has given Gallus its reputation as some of the UK’s most outrageous live acts.
Gallus exist solely to entertain, branding themselves as down-to-Earth and unpretentious
Their music tells stories with a hard rock influence, their distinctive bass-heavy style combining with gravelly vocals to create a modern version of British hard rock.
Glasgow has played host to a thriving indie music scene for years, any aspiring band would be hard pressed to find a better city in which to try and get off the ground. The city is home to indie legends The Fratellis and Franz Ferdinand, and today is home to a highly supportive and collaborative network of up-and-coming indie talent.
Barry and Eamon have lived and collaborated with members of both Dead Pony and The Big Day, and say that bands in the area often make an effort to give one another a platform. Events such as the Tenement Trail, which has featured Gallus three times, also work to this end, fostering the city’s ever-growing indie scene.
“We don’t try to consciously rely on our Glaswegian identity, it just comes out naturally,” said Eamon. “Glasgow’s small enough that everyone knows each other, it’s not overly cliquey. It’s a very collaborative area.”
Gallus have transcended the British scene, however, receiving worldwide recognition through a visit to Texas’ South by Southwest festival and a rash of appearances at European festivals.
Playing SxSW was a landmark experience for the group. Dolan reminisced that “we really felt like we deserved to be there, we were the first band to play on the first day so we didn’t really know what to expect but the place was packed and everyone was absolutely buzzing, it couldn’t have gone any better.”
Gallus are shooting for the moon in 2023, with promises to release a lot of music and plans to embark on their first tour since 2021, which will see them play Newcastle’s Zerox on March 29. They will play their biggest headline show to date at Glasgow’s SWG3, as well as touring Europe alongside The Joy Hotel and appearing at festivals from the Netherlands to Sweden.
Gallus are to be missed at your own risk. Their rapid rise through the UK’s indie scene has gained frightening momentum, the future surely holds big things for Scotland’s newest stars. Blink and you’ll miss them, Gallus are on a roll and won’t be stopping for anyone.